


Humanity's Smartest Traitor

by meaninglessblah



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Explains how Hanji came to be in the Survey Corps, I'll update tags as this develops, Levi's already been conscripted but he's gotten over it by this stage, Not sure if Isabel & Furlan are gonna be in this one (probs not), Set before Erwin becomes Commander back when he's a Corporal, Yeah its got an OC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 18:09:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13440351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meaninglessblah/pseuds/meaninglessblah





	Humanity's Smartest Traitor

Levi props his heels up on the mahogany desk, slumping in the seat until his ass almost falls off the edge. He’s a picture of ease, shoulders hunched as he hooks his arm over the low chair back.

“I hope you fall,” a voice calls behind him, and Levi tilts his head back to watch Johannes cross to the adjacent chair.

“Go fuck yourself,” he mumbles, somewhat maliciously, but Johannes just smiles in amusement, taking his seat with a straight back and an attentive gaze. Levi’s lips twist in displeasure; he expected more of a response than that. He turns his gaze back to Erwin. “What did you call us for? I hope it’s some important shit, and not a waste of my fucking time.”

Erwin says nothing, flicking his fingers languidly through a file of papers, skimming each. Levi’s impatience grows with each line, but he holds his tongue, his lips curling back in distaste. Erwin doesn’t look like he’s even heard them, but both men know he’s just taking his time, enjoying the rare silence.

Johannes sighs, and glancing over, Levi can see he’s almost as impatient – no, it’s not quite impatience. Its boredom, he realises, that he can read in the slight narrowing of Johannes’ eyes, the drop of his eyelids as his fingers twitch restlessly on the arms of his chair. He’s always drumming on things; Levi finds it particularly irritating, even when it’s not audible.

“Can I guess?”

But not as irritating as that. Levi turns a slow, deadly gaze on the man, the glower a demand and a dare. But Johannes isn’t watching him, hasn’t even noticed the glare. His eyes are fixed on Erwin, who says quietly, “Go ahead.”

Levi closes his eyes and summons patience. _Sina help me_.

The silence doesn’t last long; it never does with Johannes’ mind games. He likes the challenge, as any tactician should, speculating on possibilities and deriving truth from the barest of facts.

“Supply chains drying up?”

Levi can’t understand why he’s turned down the opportunity time and time over. Despite his show of disdain, Levi somewhat admires his resolve: the man’s a genius, smarter (perhaps) than even Erwin. It’s a damned crime that he hasn’t been promoted to tactician by now; it’s a sin that he’s sharing field work with Levi.

A small shake of Erwin’s head. A few more seconds pass before Johannes suggests, “Transferred recruits?”

Not that Levi’s complaining exactly – but he does, for good show. He has a reputation to uphold.

Johannes is one of the finest soldiers in this squadron, perhaps in the whole damn corps. If he had to rank him in this room, he’d admittedly fall last, but on any other scale he’d dominate the curve. Intelligence off-the-charts and a suitable combat score to boot. He’s an asset no matter what discipline he’s assigned to.

“Pressure from the police?”

He’s not a Levi; Levi is by all accounts a recruitment miracle, a prodigy hand-picked on Erwin’s recommendation for the Corps. He’d been given his ultimatum: perform well, and he’d get a position among humanity’s finest, or waste the opportunity and return to the slums. He’d performed exceptionally, at least in combat disciplines, and had been initiated into the Corps. He’d jumped the recruitment queue on skill and merit alone.

Levi had been begged to join the Corps. Johannes had been begged not to.

He was the second son of the wealthiest merchant in Mitras, and his recruitment had spread like wildfire through the barracks. Even those in the Corps had heard. Neither Levi nor Erwin had taken much notice of the rumours: prodigals came and went, and most of them pledged their services to the Military Police regardless. Cushy royals sought out cushy jobs.

Johannes had decimated his fellow trainees. He ascended through two classes of trainees, cutting his recruitment time down to three years. When he proved adept at military tactics and studies, he was drafted into advanced classes. Officially, he spent two-and-a-half years in the training corps, condensing his combat training into a half-year stint before being sent as protégé into the Military Police.

He’d been held back from graduation until the end of his third year, when he’d been listed as top of his class with outstanding recommendations from all of his instructors. He seemed the obvious choice for personal guard to the King.

In a move that had shocked his superiors and painted him as an ungrateful traitor, he’d turned down the career in favour of the Survey Corps. Allegations of treason had plagued his recommendation from the Military Police, and he’d been assigned to initiate training by the commander. It hadn’t been until Erwin had requested his services that he’d been swiftly conscripted into the corporal’s small squad.

He and Levi had been dubbed Erwin’s prodigies – humanity’s strongest soldier and humanity’s smartest traitor. Johannes hadn’t been swayed by the epithets though. He’d always stood firm by Erwin’s side, discussing matters of strategy when the corporal needed stimulation, and sparring with Levi whenever he wanted to get his ass knocked in the dirt.

“An excessive influx of cravats?”

Levi snaps from his reverie with a strike of irritation. He narrows his gaze, turning to glare at the grinning man to his left. Johannes chuckles in that quiet way he always does, his eyes closing as his teeth bare in a snicker. It’s more air than noise.

“The fuck did you say?” Levi sneers, noting the way his body tenses in preparation for a fight as he leans towards the snickering man.

“I’m sorry, corporal,” Johannes said, glancing over at Erwin, who is holding back a tired smile. “I just wanted to know what had Levi so damn engaged in his own thoughts.”

“I’m thinking about kicking your damn ass,” Levi shoots back, before Erwin placates them both.

“Sorry, sir,” Johannes apologises, sobering up. His smile slips fairly naturally from his face. “I’m sorry I stalled; it’s funds, isn’t it?”

Erwin’s brow raises the barest millimetre, before he stifles his surprise. Levi saves him from showing face. “Did you pull that out of your ass, Johannes?”

“No, I read it on his report,” Johannes murmurs back, completely serious. But a smile curls the corner of his lips anyway. “They’re considering pulling the Survey Corps from military funding. We’re being merged with the Garrison as of – excuse me, sir–” He entreats, lifting the corner of Erwin’s leading paper to completely unearth the one beneath. He doesn’t even bother turning it around; he scans the words briefly, his gaze darting almost as quickly as Levi can draw a sword. “–the seventeenth of May.”

He releases the paper, and it settles back on the polished wood amidst the other papers. Johannes sits back in his seat, posture perfectly meticulous.

“You don’t want to be conscripted to the Garrison,” Johannes states, not wavering from Erwin’s gaze. “You think we hold too much potential to be wall-climbers.”

“You’re reading my private reports again,” Erwin murmurs, and Johannes’ mouth closes with a snap. But his eyes aren’t ashamed or apologetic; he knows exactly what he’s done. He’s simply said what Erwin didn’t want to say aloud.

If there’s one thing Levi has learnt in his time with Johannes, it’s that he’s manipulative through and through.

“I’m not joining the shitty Garrison,” Levi says to break the silence, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re going to join the ‘shitty Garrison’,” Johannes replies lightly, aloofly, “and you’re going to be humanity’s shortest climber.”

“You little shit–” Levi hisses, moving to rise from his chair. His heels thud on the floor as he takes to his feet.

“Do you want to discuss resolutions, as Erwin called us in for,” Johannes asks bluntly, “or do you want to bicker about who’s a better climber?”

 _Manipulative little bastard_. Levi bares his teeth in a sneer, but drops back down into his chair, lounging impudently. “Is that really why you called us?” he demands of Erwin.

“Yes. I’ve gone through our options, and we don’t have many.”

“We’ll stay behind then,” Levi suggests. “The rest of the Corps can join the Garrison. Fifteen people can’t cost that much.”

“We _owe_ money,” Johannes interjects, glancing down at a pile on Erwin’s desk. “Even if we did stay behind, we’d have to pay that debt off, and I don’t think you’re cut out for hard labour, Levi.”

“I can’t ask my squad to stay behind anyway,” Erwin says. “It’s unfair of me to demand of them service to a Corps with no security. They have children to feed, families and wives.”

“You can’t pawn us off onto the fucking Garrison either,” Levi snaps.

“As our commanding officer–”

“Shut the fuck up, Johannes.”

“We could collaborate,” he says softly.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Levi hisses.

“The Survey Corps,” Johannes elaborates. “We could collaborate with a smaller military entity. Someone has to have remaining funds they’re just whittling away. If we combine our squad with another faculty, we may be able to stave off extinction. Levi might even be able to afford a new crate of cravats,” he adds teasingly, that smile returning.

“Maybe we should ask your rich-ass father for some money, hmm?” Levi retorts, and regrets it instantly. Johannes’ smile turns a little bitter, but doesn’t waver, and Levi almost considers apologizing.

Johannes shrugs, lounging back in his chair. He only breaks posture when he’s in a sour mood. “Or I could just kill the bastard and inherit his fortune.”

His tone is so blatant, so blunt and unflinching that anyone outside his immediate circle of confidants would consider him a psychopath. Again, Levi settles on a single descriptor: manipulative.

“Your father is a great asset to humanity,” Erwin says, soothing him. “But it would be imprudent to ask of so much of his resources and faith. I’ll consider annexing with another faculty.”

Johannes rises swiftly to his feet, but his tone is still dead as he deftly pushes aside a stack of papers to reveal a financial report. “Approach the scientific experimentation faculty,” he says, and it’s almost an order. He turns without apology, closing the door behind him.

Erwin watches him go, and sighs. “You aggravated him.”

“How was I to know he’d fucking flip over that?” Levi snarks back. “One minute he’s singing the guy’s praises, the next he’s berating the bastard.”


End file.
